Concert Review: Baauer, RL Grime @ The Hoxton

By: Sasha Kalra (@sashakalra) –

Baauer.

Baauer, who spawned the 2012 hit song “Harlem Shake” and RL Grime’s show at The Hoxton last night barely fit in 2013, but was it one to remember.

The pair first went back-to-back at SXSW this year and the result was promising. They both have a refined ear for music and genuinely seemed to vibe off each other’s presence; the “bromance” was lit.

Both Baauer, who was very reserved during his two Toronto shows (Nov 23, 2012 w/ AraabMuzik and Feb 1, 2013 w/ Just Blaze), and who’s mixing wasn’t as refined as some of his peers, and RL Grime had experience with Toronto crowds in the past, and while their live sets were top knotch, they lacked a defined stage presence.

The Hoxton buzzed as the night progressed as a line enveloped an entire block around the venue. With a sense of anticipation building, this was going to be a good night.

The duo came out and immediately sent the venue into a frenzy by unleashing Rustie’s ‘Slasherr’ on the masses, following it up by hip-hop anthems by 2Chainz and Rick Ross.

Their presence was the first thing that stood out. Baauer’s mixing had come a long way and his transitions were seamless. RL Grime was on the microphone for most of the night, commanding the crowd to obey his every word. He was no longer that quiet, reserved DJ who despite being an excellent performer didn’t do much with his tonality or body language to get people excited.

Based on last night’s peformance, it’s clear that the “Infinite Daps” tour is where it all changed for the pair.

Earlier this year, they hit the road as a double act alongside Jim-E Stack and Ryan Hemsworth, as part of the “Infinite Daps” tour. After their game-changing Boiler Room debut, the duo brought that same ‘vibe’ to cities across the United States and by doing so strengthened not only their camaraderie but also their on-stage performance.

The pair was crowd pleasers last night, knowing exactly what the crowd desired. Dubstep? Sure. ‘90s Hip Hop? Why not? And how about a little techno to keep things fresh.

A healthy amount of Kanye West and Drake will always endear you to a Toronto crowd, and last night was no different, with Drake’s back catalogue being more prominently displayed, with RL repeatedly asking, “Is Toronto in the house?” We were most definitely “in the house.”

Baauer’s desk displayed a bottle of Hennessy for most of the night in which the liquid level kept appearing to get smaller and smaller. That might explain why the man named Harry Rodrigues messed up towards the end of the night when he asked Boston to put their hands up. It didn’t matter, however, as the concertgoers would forgive Baauer a thousand times over if the beats kept bumping.

And that’s exactly the type of night it was. Baauer and RL Grime put the calculated nature of their previous performances behind them. Everything they did, said, and expressed was completely organic.

(Editor’s Note: Check out this “Infinite Daps” tour mini documentary to get an idea of what that tour was like).